In the School of Faith: Bible Study
From a study of Charles Stanley
Date: 8/12/14
Week # 5
SUBJECT: The Grades of Faith
(III) Great Faith:
Key Passage: Matthew 8:5-10
Supporting Scriptures: Hebrews 4:16; 11:6; Ephesians 6:16; Job 13:14; Genesis 12:1-2
When Jesus met the centurion, it became the perfect opportunity to teach the disciples about great faith (Matt. 8:5-8). The centurion asked Christ to heal his paralyzed servant, and he trusted Jesus' word that it would be done. The centurion didn't need signs or evidence of Christ's power. This is the reason why Jesus said, "I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel" (v. 10). Like him, when we take Christ at His word and trust Him so completely that we don't require proof that He will fulfill His promises to us, we exhibit great faith.
A centurion in Capernaum approached Jesus and said that His word alone would be enough to cure a dying servant. Jesus told His disciples, "Truly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel" (Matt. 8:11). They were meant to learn from this man's example.
A Life of Faith:
Hebrews 11:6 Without faith it is impossible to please God....
Hebrews 11:24-27
By faith Moses refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He preferred sharing the burden of God's people to enjoying the temporary advantages of sin. He considered the "reproach of Christ" more precious than all the wealth of Egypt, for he looked steadily at the ultimate reward. By faith he left Egypt; he defied the king's anger with the strength that comes from obedience to the invisible king.
Hebrews 10:32, 35-39
... in the face of suffering do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For in just a little while, "He who is coming will come and will not delay. But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him." But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.
2 Corinthians 4:8-10
We are hard-pressed on all sides, but never in despair. We are persecuted, but are never deserted; we may be knocked down but we are never knocked out! Everyday we experience something of the death of Jesus, so that we may also show the power of the life of Jesus in these bodies of ours. Yes, we who are living are always being exposed to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus may be plainly seen in our mortal lives.
2 Corinthians 4:16-18
This is the reason we never lose heart. The outward man does indeed suffer wear and tear, but every day the inward man receives fresh strength. These little troubles (which are really so transitory) are winning for us a permanent, glorious and solid reward out of all proportion to our pain. For we are looking all the time not at the visible things but at the invisible. The visible things are transitory: it is the invisible things that are really permanent.
1 Peter 1:6-7
This means tremendous joy to you, even though at present you may be temporarily harassed by all kinds of trials. This is no accident--it happens to prove your faith, which is infinitely more valuable than gold, and gold, as you know, even though it is ultimately perishable, must be purified by fire.
Ephesians 6:16
Above all be sure you take faith as your shield, for it can quench every burning missile the enemy hurls at you.
Hebrews 11:1
Faith means that we have full confidence in the things we hope for, it means being certain of things we cannot see.
Romans 4:16
The whole thing, then, is a matter of faith on man's part and generosity on God's. He gives the security of his own promise to all men....
Job 13:15
Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him....
Job 19:25
I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes--I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!
Matthew 8:5-10
"Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, saying, Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented. And Jesus said to him, I will come and heal him. The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, Go, and he goes; and to another, Come, and he comes; and to my servant, Do this, and he does it. When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!"
From the account of the centurion, there are four important principles which we learn about great faith:
(1) Great faith begins as a follower of Christ, knowing him personally, realizing his divine authority.
It is obvious that the centurion came to Jesus with an unusual perception of Christ's position and authority. It is likely that he had been an observer and a follower of Jesus for some time. This indicates that the first step toward a faith which results in answered prayers, is to be a follower of Jesus Christ. We must have a proper relationship with Him, which enables us to approach God with the confidence that our heart is surrendered to the purpose of his will. Not only as our savior, but as Lord, our beloved master, whom we follow and serve with all our heart, endeavoring to keep his commandments and do those things which are pleasing to him. As the scripture says, "Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight" (1 John 3:21-22).
(2) The motives of great faith are pure, and are in harmony with the will of God.
The centurion boldly brought his need to Jesus to find out what his will was concerning the afflicted servant. He was not presumptuous or demanding, but reverent and submissive. As for his motive, his concern was not for himself, but over the suffering and need of someone else - in fact, a mere servant of whom were often considered the lowest class of people. It is necessary that we ascertain the will of God in respect to our desires and requests. The scriptures clearly indicate that God answers those prayers which are in accordance to His will, not just our own. To have faith's assurance for the desired results of our prayers, our requests must be based upon the criteria of God's wants and desires. Prayer should not be viewed as merely a way to obtain our wishes, but a means that God uses to perpetrate His own desires. The Bible says, "Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him" (1 John 5:14-15). God's will is revealed through the record of His Word to us, in the Bible. We can possess faith for anything promised to us in God's Word, and if we want God's provisions, it is necessary for us to bring our needs to Him. James said that we "do not have because we do not ask" (James 4:2). But he also warned that some prayers will go unanswered because of improper motives: "You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures" (James 4:3). Lust is a carnal, self-willed, evil desire of the flesh, and one of the major reasons for ineffectual prayer. Are most of our requests based upon our own selfish interests? Materialistic wants? Or, is our faith directed toward winning lost souls to Christ, praying for the sick and afflicted, or the needs of the poor and homeless? Our motives in relationship with God's will must be major considerations in our faith.
(3) Great faith has a humble heart, cognizant of the grace and compassion of God, whereby He loves and blesses us.
There was no doubt of the sincere humility of the centurion and his apparent high esteem and honor, placed in the person of Jesus. He confessed his unworthiness, his lowly undeserving status for Jesus to even come into his home.
The scripture states that "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble" (James 4:6). The word "humble" means self-abasement. We are totally dependent upon God, His mercy and His strength. What God does for us, in response to our requests, is not because we have earned or deserve anything. What God does is because of His love and grace (unmerited favor) manifested through the redemption of Jesus Christ. He tells us that when we are in need to come unto the throne of His "grace" that we might find His help. The Bible says, "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (Heb. 4:16).
(4) Great faith has a complete trust in the dependability of God's Word, and accepts it as fact above any other evidence or circumstance. The centurion was so thoroughly convinced of the authority of Christ's Word that He did not find it necessary for Jesus to personally visit the servant. He felt assured that if Christ would only just give the command, the healing would respond. He did not need to see anything or feel anything, but was willing to rest solely upon the premise of the spoken Word. Such were the characteristics of Abraham's faith, who believed God's Word of promise, even though all natural circumstances were against him and there were no signs of the promise for 17 years. "He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform" (Rom. 4:20-21).
God's Word is the very basis of our faith. His Word is the source of all creation, and nothing can withstand its power or force. His Word is absolutely trustworthy, in fact more trustworthy than the things of this world, which we can see or perceive with our senses. The believer must surrender his total confidence to the Word, even without any shred of visible evidence, or even in spite of contrary evidence.
May God encourage you to follow these principles of great faith!
Please read these scriptures:
The Leper: Matthew 8:2
The Ruler: Matthew 9:18
The Blind man: Matthew 9:28
The Diseased: Matthew 14:36
The Syrophenician woman: Matthew 15:28
The Afflicted woman: Mark 5:28
Walking In Faith:
The Christian life is a walk of faith:
From the moment you become a believer, you enter the school of faith because, from that point on, the Father's goal is to teach you to trust in Him. Therefore, in order to live effectively and grow in your relationship with Him, you must have confidence that God—the Sovereign Lord of the universe—will do exactly what He says and fulfill every single promise He's made to you. This is why Jesus said, "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you" (Matt. 7:7). The Father has awesome blessings for you, but you must know that He cares for you enough to provide them. Unfortunately, believers will some time miss God's best in life simply because they do not trust Him. We get caught up in our circumstances and wonder why difficulties occur. However, when we realize that ups and downs are a natural part of maturing as Christians, we will continue to grow and progress in our faith.
Hebrews 11:10-12
By faith _______, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. By _____ he sojourned in the land of _______, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and _______, the heirs with him of the same promise: For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. _______________also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had _________. Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the _______ which is by the sea shore innumerable.
Mark 11:22-24
And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have ____ in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this ________, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not _______ in his heart, but shall _______that those ______which he saith shall come to pass; he _______ whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, what things soever ye ______, when ye pray, _________that ye receive them, and ye ______have them.
Habakkuk 2:4
Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not _______ in him: but the _____ shall live by his ________.
From a study of Charles Stanley
Date: 8/12/14
Week # 5
SUBJECT: The Grades of Faith
(III) Great Faith:
Key Passage: Matthew 8:5-10
Supporting Scriptures: Hebrews 4:16; 11:6; Ephesians 6:16; Job 13:14; Genesis 12:1-2
When Jesus met the centurion, it became the perfect opportunity to teach the disciples about great faith (Matt. 8:5-8). The centurion asked Christ to heal his paralyzed servant, and he trusted Jesus' word that it would be done. The centurion didn't need signs or evidence of Christ's power. This is the reason why Jesus said, "I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel" (v. 10). Like him, when we take Christ at His word and trust Him so completely that we don't require proof that He will fulfill His promises to us, we exhibit great faith.
A centurion in Capernaum approached Jesus and said that His word alone would be enough to cure a dying servant. Jesus told His disciples, "Truly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel" (Matt. 8:11). They were meant to learn from this man's example.
A Life of Faith:
Hebrews 11:6 Without faith it is impossible to please God....
Hebrews 11:24-27
By faith Moses refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He preferred sharing the burden of God's people to enjoying the temporary advantages of sin. He considered the "reproach of Christ" more precious than all the wealth of Egypt, for he looked steadily at the ultimate reward. By faith he left Egypt; he defied the king's anger with the strength that comes from obedience to the invisible king.
Hebrews 10:32, 35-39
... in the face of suffering do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For in just a little while, "He who is coming will come and will not delay. But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him." But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.
2 Corinthians 4:8-10
We are hard-pressed on all sides, but never in despair. We are persecuted, but are never deserted; we may be knocked down but we are never knocked out! Everyday we experience something of the death of Jesus, so that we may also show the power of the life of Jesus in these bodies of ours. Yes, we who are living are always being exposed to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus may be plainly seen in our mortal lives.
2 Corinthians 4:16-18
This is the reason we never lose heart. The outward man does indeed suffer wear and tear, but every day the inward man receives fresh strength. These little troubles (which are really so transitory) are winning for us a permanent, glorious and solid reward out of all proportion to our pain. For we are looking all the time not at the visible things but at the invisible. The visible things are transitory: it is the invisible things that are really permanent.
1 Peter 1:6-7
This means tremendous joy to you, even though at present you may be temporarily harassed by all kinds of trials. This is no accident--it happens to prove your faith, which is infinitely more valuable than gold, and gold, as you know, even though it is ultimately perishable, must be purified by fire.
Ephesians 6:16
Above all be sure you take faith as your shield, for it can quench every burning missile the enemy hurls at you.
Hebrews 11:1
Faith means that we have full confidence in the things we hope for, it means being certain of things we cannot see.
Romans 4:16
The whole thing, then, is a matter of faith on man's part and generosity on God's. He gives the security of his own promise to all men....
Job 13:15
Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him....
Job 19:25
I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes--I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!
Matthew 8:5-10
"Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, saying, Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented. And Jesus said to him, I will come and heal him. The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, Go, and he goes; and to another, Come, and he comes; and to my servant, Do this, and he does it. When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!"
From the account of the centurion, there are four important principles which we learn about great faith:
(1) Great faith begins as a follower of Christ, knowing him personally, realizing his divine authority.
It is obvious that the centurion came to Jesus with an unusual perception of Christ's position and authority. It is likely that he had been an observer and a follower of Jesus for some time. This indicates that the first step toward a faith which results in answered prayers, is to be a follower of Jesus Christ. We must have a proper relationship with Him, which enables us to approach God with the confidence that our heart is surrendered to the purpose of his will. Not only as our savior, but as Lord, our beloved master, whom we follow and serve with all our heart, endeavoring to keep his commandments and do those things which are pleasing to him. As the scripture says, "Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight" (1 John 3:21-22).
(2) The motives of great faith are pure, and are in harmony with the will of God.
The centurion boldly brought his need to Jesus to find out what his will was concerning the afflicted servant. He was not presumptuous or demanding, but reverent and submissive. As for his motive, his concern was not for himself, but over the suffering and need of someone else - in fact, a mere servant of whom were often considered the lowest class of people. It is necessary that we ascertain the will of God in respect to our desires and requests. The scriptures clearly indicate that God answers those prayers which are in accordance to His will, not just our own. To have faith's assurance for the desired results of our prayers, our requests must be based upon the criteria of God's wants and desires. Prayer should not be viewed as merely a way to obtain our wishes, but a means that God uses to perpetrate His own desires. The Bible says, "Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him" (1 John 5:14-15). God's will is revealed through the record of His Word to us, in the Bible. We can possess faith for anything promised to us in God's Word, and if we want God's provisions, it is necessary for us to bring our needs to Him. James said that we "do not have because we do not ask" (James 4:2). But he also warned that some prayers will go unanswered because of improper motives: "You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures" (James 4:3). Lust is a carnal, self-willed, evil desire of the flesh, and one of the major reasons for ineffectual prayer. Are most of our requests based upon our own selfish interests? Materialistic wants? Or, is our faith directed toward winning lost souls to Christ, praying for the sick and afflicted, or the needs of the poor and homeless? Our motives in relationship with God's will must be major considerations in our faith.
(3) Great faith has a humble heart, cognizant of the grace and compassion of God, whereby He loves and blesses us.
There was no doubt of the sincere humility of the centurion and his apparent high esteem and honor, placed in the person of Jesus. He confessed his unworthiness, his lowly undeserving status for Jesus to even come into his home.
The scripture states that "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble" (James 4:6). The word "humble" means self-abasement. We are totally dependent upon God, His mercy and His strength. What God does for us, in response to our requests, is not because we have earned or deserve anything. What God does is because of His love and grace (unmerited favor) manifested through the redemption of Jesus Christ. He tells us that when we are in need to come unto the throne of His "grace" that we might find His help. The Bible says, "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (Heb. 4:16).
(4) Great faith has a complete trust in the dependability of God's Word, and accepts it as fact above any other evidence or circumstance. The centurion was so thoroughly convinced of the authority of Christ's Word that He did not find it necessary for Jesus to personally visit the servant. He felt assured that if Christ would only just give the command, the healing would respond. He did not need to see anything or feel anything, but was willing to rest solely upon the premise of the spoken Word. Such were the characteristics of Abraham's faith, who believed God's Word of promise, even though all natural circumstances were against him and there were no signs of the promise for 17 years. "He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform" (Rom. 4:20-21).
God's Word is the very basis of our faith. His Word is the source of all creation, and nothing can withstand its power or force. His Word is absolutely trustworthy, in fact more trustworthy than the things of this world, which we can see or perceive with our senses. The believer must surrender his total confidence to the Word, even without any shred of visible evidence, or even in spite of contrary evidence.
May God encourage you to follow these principles of great faith!
Please read these scriptures:
The Leper: Matthew 8:2
The Ruler: Matthew 9:18
The Blind man: Matthew 9:28
The Diseased: Matthew 14:36
The Syrophenician woman: Matthew 15:28
The Afflicted woman: Mark 5:28
Walking In Faith:
The Christian life is a walk of faith:
From the moment you become a believer, you enter the school of faith because, from that point on, the Father's goal is to teach you to trust in Him. Therefore, in order to live effectively and grow in your relationship with Him, you must have confidence that God—the Sovereign Lord of the universe—will do exactly what He says and fulfill every single promise He's made to you. This is why Jesus said, "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you" (Matt. 7:7). The Father has awesome blessings for you, but you must know that He cares for you enough to provide them. Unfortunately, believers will some time miss God's best in life simply because they do not trust Him. We get caught up in our circumstances and wonder why difficulties occur. However, when we realize that ups and downs are a natural part of maturing as Christians, we will continue to grow and progress in our faith.
The Father of Our Faith:
Abraham is known by this title because of his inspiring and historic trust in God. Although he grew up in a pagan land and knew nothing about Yahweh, he obeyed when the Lord called him (Josh. 24:2-3). God said, "Go forth from your country, and from your relatives and from your father's house, to the land which I will show you; and I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you" (Gen. 12:1-2). It was an incredibly difficult command—Abraham was to leave his family and everything he had ever known to go to a place he had never seen. Although Abraham's faith was severely tried, we know that he remained devoted to God even when everything appeared contrary to the Lord's covenant with him. And the Father blessed him beyond measure—fulfilling every promise. Yes, Abraham failed at times and had doubts like we do. He wasn't perfect. This is the reason he is an excellent example of what it means to live a vibrant life of faith. We all experience faith failures, but if we pick ourselves up and renew our trust in the Lord, we will see God's promises to us fulfilled as this patriarch did. Thankfully, Abraham also demonstrates what is necessary for remaining confident in the Father's provision. These five requirements are as follows:
Requirement 1: Learn to Listen to God
The Lord is speaking to each of us individually—just as He did with Abraham. But if we do not learn to listen to Him, how will we ever have a relationship with Him? The first question we should ask is "How does the Father communicate with us?" He does so primarily through His Word and prayer. As we read the Bible daily, He shows us how to handle the issues that concern us. However, He may also communicate through other people, sermons, Christian books, songs, and circumstances. In fact, He will move heaven and earth to show us His will when we seek His face. The key is to begin each day by praying, "Father, if You have anything to say to me, please speak—I'm listening." Though there may be times when God's directions do not make sense to us, be assured that He would never tell us to do anything that contradicts Scripture.
Requirement 2: Learn to Obey God
As you and I grow in our relationships with the Father, we learn by trial and error how crucial it is for us to do exactly as He tells us. In fact, once we hear the Lord's direction, our best course of action is to submit to His commands fully and immediately—no matter what it costs us—because obedience to God always brings blessings. As we mature, we also discover that when we attempt to take shortcuts or circumvent God's plan, we get ourselves into trouble. This is because partial obedience is disobedience, which always brings terrible consequences.
Requirement 3: Learn to Depend on God
The more closely we walk with the Father, the more we understand how perfectly He leads us. This is why God will sometimes only show us where to go one step at a time—so we will rely upon Him completely. When this happens, we may become frustrated or impatient with our progress and begin to doubt. However, when we do so, we show that we don't truly trust and depend on God. As a result, we begin to feel we must handle things on our own and pull away from Him. This is always a mistake. Instead, we must constantly remain in complete dependence upon the Father, which is the position of ultimate safety.
Requirement 4: Learn to Wait Upon God
Time is a tool in God's hand, and its passing will either strengthen our faith or undermine it, depending on how we respond. Take note because Scripture is clear: "God . . . acts in behalf of the one who waits for Him" (Isa. 64:4). No matter how many days, weeks, months, or years pass, the Lord will still keep His promises to you. Trust is all He requires of His children.
Requirement 5: Learn to Acknowledge, Repent, and Profit from Faith Failures
We all make mistakes and fail to rely on God at times. We run ahead of His timing, trying to invent our own solutions to the problems we face, or achieve the desires of our hearts in our own ways. Although there are certainly consequences for this, we must never imagine that the Father gives up on us. The Lord never turned His back on Abraham, and He will not forsake us either. However, God will continue to try our faith until we are able to trust Him with everything we love in life. Therefore, instead of merely regretting our failures, we should acknowledge them, repent of our unbelief, and make every effort to avoid such mistakes in the future.
10 Distinct Differences between Faith and Unbelief
1. Faith sees more in a promise of God to help than in all other things to hinder. Unbelief sees more in the things that hinder than in God's promise to help.
2. Faith sees love in the heart of Christ when He speaks to reprove us. Unbelief sees anger in God's heart when He says that He loves us.
3. Faith gives comfort in the midst of fear. Unbelief brings fear in the midst of comfort.
4. Faith helps the soul to wait, when God defers to give. Unbelief takes the huff if God makes us tarry.
5. Faith will suck sweetness even out of God's rod, but unbelief finds no comfort even in His greatest mercies.
6. Faith makes great burdens light. Unbelief makes light burdens heavy.
7. Faith lifts us up when we are down, but unbelief throws us down when we are up.
8. Faith brings us near to God when we are far from Him. Unbelief puts us far from God when we are near to Him.
9. Faith purifies the heart. Unbelief keeps the heart impure.
10. Faith finds the ways of God pleasant and admirable. Unbelief makes them heavy and hard. "Lord, I believe. Help me overcome my unbelief, (Mark 9:24).
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Begin by reading the story of the Centurion with the sick servant in Matthew 8:5-10.
1. Do you know people whose faith in God is so strong that at times you would describe it as amazing? What is it about them that makes you think their confidence in God is so strong?
2. How would you describe the relationship between obedience and trust?
3. As you think back on your childhood, how was the obedience/trust relationship manifested in your home? Did you trust your parents? How did that impact your response to their authority?
4. What is more important in a relationship: trust or obedience? Answer this question within the context of several types of relationships. If you are a parent, how would you answer this question as it relates to your children? What about within the context of marriage?
5. Andy listed five ingredients to developing BIG faith. Which ones do you remember? Of these five, which one has made the biggest difference in your confidence in God? Why?
6. Has there ever been a time in your life when your confidence in God—your faith—hit a really low point? Would you be willing to share that story with your group? If so, describe the events surrounding your loss of faith, as well as what happened that helped you regain it.
7. Based on this discussion, what advice would you give a friend who had lost faith or who would describe his or her faith as weak?
8. Based on your personal experience, if a close friend were to share with you that he was at one time a person with great faith in God, but had lost his faith, what questions would you ask? What advice would you give?
Reflection:
1. Do you have confidence that God will fulfill every promise He's made to you?
2. Do you trust Him to lead you in the best possible path for your life?
3, Are you willing to put those you love most in His capable hands?
I hope you can answer "yes" to these questions because when you become a believer, you entered the school of faith for this very purpose—to trust Him more. Friend, don't miss God's best in your life because of fear. Grow in your relationship with the Father by listening to, depending on, waiting on, and obeying Him. At times when you fail, learn from your mistakes. Remain devoted to the Lord even when everything appears contrary to what He has promised you. You can rest assured that He is trustworthy and will keep His promises to you. You cannot lose by trusting Him, and there is no substitute for faith in the life of a believer.
Question:
1. What is great Faith?
2. What makes waiting on God's timing so difficult?
3. Do you take an active role in the waiting process by praying, reading God's Word, and counting on His promises with expectation?
4. What is the difference between doubt and unbelief when it comes to faith?
5. Who was the first person to walk by faith?
6. How do you learn to listen to God?
7. How do you learn to obey God?
8. How do you learn to depend on God?
9. How do you learn to wait upon God?
10. How do we learn to acknowledge, repent, and profit from failures?
Prayer:
Thank You Lord for the measure of faith You have given each one of us. We desire to please You in our faith walk daily. Teach us to keep the faith even through hard times. We our faith fail keep us close to You, so that we can pick ourselves up by learning more about You and Your Word, by depending on You more, by repenting when we fail, by waiting upon You, and by obeying You when You are leading us in the path of righteousness. We bless You and praise You, because You are worthy of all our praise, all the glory, and all the honor. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.
Quiz: Type in the Blank (s): WEEK #5
James 2:17-20
In the same way, (Faith) by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, "You have ______; I have deeds." Show me your ______without deeds, and I will show you my ______ by my deeds. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. You foolish person, do you want evidence that _____ without deeds is useless?
Abraham is known by this title because of his inspiring and historic trust in God. Although he grew up in a pagan land and knew nothing about Yahweh, he obeyed when the Lord called him (Josh. 24:2-3). God said, "Go forth from your country, and from your relatives and from your father's house, to the land which I will show you; and I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you" (Gen. 12:1-2). It was an incredibly difficult command—Abraham was to leave his family and everything he had ever known to go to a place he had never seen. Although Abraham's faith was severely tried, we know that he remained devoted to God even when everything appeared contrary to the Lord's covenant with him. And the Father blessed him beyond measure—fulfilling every promise. Yes, Abraham failed at times and had doubts like we do. He wasn't perfect. This is the reason he is an excellent example of what it means to live a vibrant life of faith. We all experience faith failures, but if we pick ourselves up and renew our trust in the Lord, we will see God's promises to us fulfilled as this patriarch did. Thankfully, Abraham also demonstrates what is necessary for remaining confident in the Father's provision. These five requirements are as follows:
Requirement 1: Learn to Listen to God
The Lord is speaking to each of us individually—just as He did with Abraham. But if we do not learn to listen to Him, how will we ever have a relationship with Him? The first question we should ask is "How does the Father communicate with us?" He does so primarily through His Word and prayer. As we read the Bible daily, He shows us how to handle the issues that concern us. However, He may also communicate through other people, sermons, Christian books, songs, and circumstances. In fact, He will move heaven and earth to show us His will when we seek His face. The key is to begin each day by praying, "Father, if You have anything to say to me, please speak—I'm listening." Though there may be times when God's directions do not make sense to us, be assured that He would never tell us to do anything that contradicts Scripture.
Requirement 2: Learn to Obey God
As you and I grow in our relationships with the Father, we learn by trial and error how crucial it is for us to do exactly as He tells us. In fact, once we hear the Lord's direction, our best course of action is to submit to His commands fully and immediately—no matter what it costs us—because obedience to God always brings blessings. As we mature, we also discover that when we attempt to take shortcuts or circumvent God's plan, we get ourselves into trouble. This is because partial obedience is disobedience, which always brings terrible consequences.
Requirement 3: Learn to Depend on God
The more closely we walk with the Father, the more we understand how perfectly He leads us. This is why God will sometimes only show us where to go one step at a time—so we will rely upon Him completely. When this happens, we may become frustrated or impatient with our progress and begin to doubt. However, when we do so, we show that we don't truly trust and depend on God. As a result, we begin to feel we must handle things on our own and pull away from Him. This is always a mistake. Instead, we must constantly remain in complete dependence upon the Father, which is the position of ultimate safety.
Requirement 4: Learn to Wait Upon God
Time is a tool in God's hand, and its passing will either strengthen our faith or undermine it, depending on how we respond. Take note because Scripture is clear: "God . . . acts in behalf of the one who waits for Him" (Isa. 64:4). No matter how many days, weeks, months, or years pass, the Lord will still keep His promises to you. Trust is all He requires of His children.
Requirement 5: Learn to Acknowledge, Repent, and Profit from Faith Failures
We all make mistakes and fail to rely on God at times. We run ahead of His timing, trying to invent our own solutions to the problems we face, or achieve the desires of our hearts in our own ways. Although there are certainly consequences for this, we must never imagine that the Father gives up on us. The Lord never turned His back on Abraham, and He will not forsake us either. However, God will continue to try our faith until we are able to trust Him with everything we love in life. Therefore, instead of merely regretting our failures, we should acknowledge them, repent of our unbelief, and make every effort to avoid such mistakes in the future.
10 Distinct Differences between Faith and Unbelief
1. Faith sees more in a promise of God to help than in all other things to hinder. Unbelief sees more in the things that hinder than in God's promise to help.
2. Faith sees love in the heart of Christ when He speaks to reprove us. Unbelief sees anger in God's heart when He says that He loves us.
3. Faith gives comfort in the midst of fear. Unbelief brings fear in the midst of comfort.
4. Faith helps the soul to wait, when God defers to give. Unbelief takes the huff if God makes us tarry.
5. Faith will suck sweetness even out of God's rod, but unbelief finds no comfort even in His greatest mercies.
6. Faith makes great burdens light. Unbelief makes light burdens heavy.
7. Faith lifts us up when we are down, but unbelief throws us down when we are up.
8. Faith brings us near to God when we are far from Him. Unbelief puts us far from God when we are near to Him.
9. Faith purifies the heart. Unbelief keeps the heart impure.
10. Faith finds the ways of God pleasant and admirable. Unbelief makes them heavy and hard. "Lord, I believe. Help me overcome my unbelief, (Mark 9:24).
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Begin by reading the story of the Centurion with the sick servant in Matthew 8:5-10.
1. Do you know people whose faith in God is so strong that at times you would describe it as amazing? What is it about them that makes you think their confidence in God is so strong?
2. How would you describe the relationship between obedience and trust?
3. As you think back on your childhood, how was the obedience/trust relationship manifested in your home? Did you trust your parents? How did that impact your response to their authority?
4. What is more important in a relationship: trust or obedience? Answer this question within the context of several types of relationships. If you are a parent, how would you answer this question as it relates to your children? What about within the context of marriage?
5. Andy listed five ingredients to developing BIG faith. Which ones do you remember? Of these five, which one has made the biggest difference in your confidence in God? Why?
6. Has there ever been a time in your life when your confidence in God—your faith—hit a really low point? Would you be willing to share that story with your group? If so, describe the events surrounding your loss of faith, as well as what happened that helped you regain it.
7. Based on this discussion, what advice would you give a friend who had lost faith or who would describe his or her faith as weak?
8. Based on your personal experience, if a close friend were to share with you that he was at one time a person with great faith in God, but had lost his faith, what questions would you ask? What advice would you give?
Reflection:
1. Do you have confidence that God will fulfill every promise He's made to you?
2. Do you trust Him to lead you in the best possible path for your life?
3, Are you willing to put those you love most in His capable hands?
I hope you can answer "yes" to these questions because when you become a believer, you entered the school of faith for this very purpose—to trust Him more. Friend, don't miss God's best in your life because of fear. Grow in your relationship with the Father by listening to, depending on, waiting on, and obeying Him. At times when you fail, learn from your mistakes. Remain devoted to the Lord even when everything appears contrary to what He has promised you. You can rest assured that He is trustworthy and will keep His promises to you. You cannot lose by trusting Him, and there is no substitute for faith in the life of a believer.
Question:
1. What is great Faith?
2. What makes waiting on God's timing so difficult?
3. Do you take an active role in the waiting process by praying, reading God's Word, and counting on His promises with expectation?
4. What is the difference between doubt and unbelief when it comes to faith?
5. Who was the first person to walk by faith?
6. How do you learn to listen to God?
7. How do you learn to obey God?
8. How do you learn to depend on God?
9. How do you learn to wait upon God?
10. How do we learn to acknowledge, repent, and profit from failures?
Prayer:
Thank You Lord for the measure of faith You have given each one of us. We desire to please You in our faith walk daily. Teach us to keep the faith even through hard times. We our faith fail keep us close to You, so that we can pick ourselves up by learning more about You and Your Word, by depending on You more, by repenting when we fail, by waiting upon You, and by obeying You when You are leading us in the path of righteousness. We bless You and praise You, because You are worthy of all our praise, all the glory, and all the honor. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.
Quiz: Type in the Blank (s): WEEK #5
James 2:17-20
In the same way, (Faith) by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, "You have ______; I have deeds." Show me your ______without deeds, and I will show you my ______ by my deeds. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. You foolish person, do you want evidence that _____ without deeds is useless?
Hebrews 11:10-12
By faith _______, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. By _____ he sojourned in the land of _______, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and _______, the heirs with him of the same promise: For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. _______________also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had _________. Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the _______ which is by the sea shore innumerable.
Mark 11:22-24
And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have ____ in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this ________, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not _______ in his heart, but shall _______that those ______which he saith shall come to pass; he _______ whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, what things soever ye ______, when ye pray, _________that ye receive them, and ye ______have them.
Habakkuk 2:4
Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not _______ in him: but the _____ shall live by his ________.
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